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My first 125 reef tank... It scares me!

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Nevillek, Dec 15, 2012.

  1. Nevillek

    Nevillek Inactive User

    24
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    This will be my first reef tank. its huge for me but i have had 55'S for so long that theyre boring! I am running a 55 gallon sump in the basement and cant decide if i should drill this tank!? i sure as hell dont want to break it and the area i live in (Spirit Lake IA) doesnt have any options for companies to do the job. Should i do a HOB overflow? any success with these? My other huge problem is lighting! Since its my first tank i want to be able to experience growing all types of coral. What is a good lighting choice for a tank like this with two braces? one large 72 inch t5 / mh system or maybe 3 matching 24 inch! i like the blue night leds as well. I ve seen many systems out there but as many of us i cant afford to throw 900 into only lighting... not that i dont want to lol. Suggestions?
     
  2. gearhead

    gearhead Inactive User

    271
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    Let me no how u set it up Im debating on doing the same thing I have a couple of Tanks running right now I'm trying to put into 1 , and just like you I have a 125 it's not drilled , been thinking about going h.o.b and cans,
     
  3. iaJim

    iaJim Inactive User

    775
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    I wonder if you shouldn't consider using MH lighting. There's a lot of it out there for sale reasonably, and it would allow you to grow lots of different corals.
     
  4. Nevillek

    Nevillek Inactive User

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    I have a can on it now and when I do decide what to do I'll still run it for extra support. I do agree with MH's and maybe led strips for night!
     
  5. iaJim

    iaJim Inactive User

    775
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    I wouldn't bother with night lights.
     
  6. Nevillek

    Nevillek Inactive User

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    I just like the look lol. My 55 had the marineland night leds and it was cool to have shine in. I'm sure they have no value toward reef keeping whatsoever!
     
  7. xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

    La Porte City, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,014 / 6 / -0
    Like they say in Texas

    Drill baby Drill!

    Order a drill bit from bulk reef supply, get some plumbers putty & go to town. It is easy, the bigger the tank, the easier it is. You will be so much happier with a drilled tank.

    Make sure you kill the power & see how much your sump rises in the basement once you get it running. If it raised 6 inches, you know your max fill mark should be 6 1/2 inches from the top.

    What is your lighting budget? I would definitely recommend 3 lights, one for each section. If you are on a budget, the makers LED kits will be a good investment for you. A little more cost up front, but wont have to worry about changing bulbs once or twice a year, as well as electrical savings.
     
  8. Nevillek

    Nevillek Inactive User

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    I like the led idea. Haven't heard if ppl really see growth with them tho. All the stories of great growth were held under MH lighting. But I don't want the heat problem either. If drilling isn't too hard then I'll go for it!! Let the bit do the work right lol.
     
  9. xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

    La Porte City, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,014 / 6 / -0
    ya, and make a pond with plumbers putty & fill with water. go slow & steady.

    LEDS can grow any coral that MH can grow.
     
  10. Nevillek

    Nevillek Inactive User

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    Sweet! What type of led brand did you say to look at? Is there a specific company that's best?
     
  11. xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

    La Porte City, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,014 / 6 / -0
    Makers LED is a DIY system.

    Here is a link for more reading

    http://makersled.com/

    Company is located in Iowa & ran by a club member too. Also a nice write up on reedbuilders about it you can read here

    http://reefbuilders.com/2012/08/27/hands-makersled-diy-heatsink/
     
  12. Nevillek

    Nevillek Inactive User

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    That's a little more work than I'm up for I think lol. It's one thing to move leds around but I'd need two 72inch ballasts and it would be close to 1600 for everything I would need.
     
  13. xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

    La Porte City, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,014 / 6 / -0
    heck no,

    Buy 12 inch makers kits for $50 each and fill it full of LEDS.
     
  14. Nevillek

    Nevillek Inactive User

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    I'd still have to buy dimmers and the power supplies and the leds right? Didn't say it came with any of that and doesn't say it can handle a 20 inch wide tank with just one on each section. I might have missed it but I read quite a bit
     
  15. xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

    La Porte City, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,014 / 6 / -0
    Buy the time you buy everything, it will probably be around $150 each as a round guess, so $450 for all 4, which is much cheaper then 3 AI at $400 each
     
  16. Nevillek

    Nevillek Inactive User

    24
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    I'll have to buy one and check it out roads!
     
  17. blackx-runner Administrator Website Team Leadership Team

    Cedar Rapids, IA
    Ratings:
    +738 / 5 / -0
    I agree on drilling the tank. You'll save yourself from a lot of headache in the future if you just drill it now. Its a bit scary at first, but a 125 has thick enough glass it actually makes it easier. Just plan ahead and keep the holes away from the edges. Take it slow and let the weight of the drill do most of the work and you won't have problems.
    The biggest thing you're going to have to consider with going reef tank is budget. It can be very expensive. Especially if you don't do some thorough planning up front. Buy the right equipment the first time around and you'll save yourself in the long run. Not saying you have to purchase the most expensive items, but there are some things you just don't want to skimp on. For lighting, if you've got the money I think LED is the way to go. Take a look at the DIY kits out there. Its can be more upfront costs, but buy the quality components and you'll save money in the long run. MH is still a great option. Proven to grow any and everything you would want, and right now you can pick up used MH set-ups for next to nothing. Could be a not too expensive option to get you going in the reefing world.
     
  18. Nevillek

    Nevillek Inactive User

    24
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    I have spent countless hours now studying leds and all different companies that sell and design these products. Unfortunately, i can say that makersled is one of the most expensive costing close to $900 for three fully controllable units with an overall number of leds ranging between 78 - 82. If anyone is looking for a cheaper solution with better controllers and waaaaay morer controllability, i would look into rapidled.com!! instead of dimmer switches they sell controllers for $49 that work with up to 9 drivers seperately and even has a built in current control so there is never a worry of current damage to the led interface. The drivers that makers like to use are nice, but they say i need five for my installation and i have actually found ones of better quality that have a longer lifespan and 25% cheaper. Makersled have created a very easy product and a nice look, however, anyone looking to get into the led DIY i must reccomend rapidled.com for many reasons. i found that if your willing to put the extra design work and effort into it the project becomes significantly cheaper. I have lowered the cost of this project down to $730 with digital controller/timer/dusk-dawn setting all in one and less drivers. I thank xroads for getting me so interested in the LED world and if all goes well i will make a video of the build for this led system!!
     
  19. Kpotter2 Expert Reefkeeper

    North liberty, IA
    Ratings:
    +7 / 0 / -0
    You don't buy th kits from Makersled only there heat sinks. Its the heat sink I think Xroads was talking about. A 12" heat sink is 50 bucks and it has all the hardware to mount and you have a very clean look after installing your kit from RapidLED.

    I bought my LED kit from Aquastyleonline.com and used Makers LED Heatsink. this is what I made with my kit Aquastyleonline.com 14LED kit

    [​IMG]


    KP
     
  20. blackx-runner Administrator Website Team Leadership Team

    Cedar Rapids, IA
    Ratings:
    +738 / 5 / -0
    There are complete kits offered that use the makers LED heatsinks.
     

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